The Community Advocate provides case management, support, safety planning, and advocacy services to victims of domestic violence. This role focuses on empowering clients to increase safety, achieve goals, maintain safe housing, and build self-sufficiency while fostering wellness and healthy relationships. The Community Advocate collaborates with internal teams, external partner agencies and stakeholders. The Community Advocate ensures to deliver trauma-informed case management services to clients. The services are delivered in accordance with the agency's mission, and best practices.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
- Manage a caseload of community clients, providing domestic violence education, self-sufficiency coaching, financial literacy and tenancy guidance.
- Provide case management, including crisis intervention, safety planning, emotional support, and referrals to appropriate resources.
- Maintain accurate documentation in database.
- Meet with all assigned clients monthly to review established goals, address concerns, and celebrate successes.
- Assist clients in accessing and maintaining entitlements and linkages to community resources including, but not limited to, Social Security Administration, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Division of Children and Family Services, employment, housing, State Victim Assistance Compensation, SNAP, medical coverage, SSI, CHIP, and financial and relocation assistance.
- Assess the lethality of a client's situation and provide ongoing safety planning services.
- Attend and contribute to all agency meeting, community meetings, and agency trainings as needed.
- Build relationships with public and private service providers to advocate for client needs.
- Provide support for clients and listen to clients with a non-judgmental attitude
- Maintain accurate and timely case records in the agency's database, documenting all services provided in compliance with agency standards.
- Explain victim rights under Ohio law, orient victims to criminal justice system, including protection orders.
- Assess needs and goals with clients and ensure they are connected to any additional internal services; provide warm hand-offs, and coordinate services with other Journey Center departments to ensure holistic client care.
- Collaborate with internal teams to enhance service delivery.
- Ensure services are provided to clients with trauma-informed, empowerment-centered practices and in compliance with any relevant funding restrictions and accreditation requirements.
- Support Helpline shifts on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
- Participate in staff meetings and other meetings as needed
ADDITIONAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES- Facilitate or co-facilitate support and/or education groups as needed
- Respect, understand, and promote Journey Center's mission, values, and goals
- Complete agency orientation and all training(s) to maintain compliance and enhance service quality
- Assume additional projects and duties as needed to support the team and organization
QUALIFICATIONS- Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience required
- Experience working with domestic violence and/or, child abuse, trauma, case management preferred
- Must have and maintain a valid Ohio driver's license and appropriate insurance coverage; Must maintain appropriate driving record
- Must be available to work flexible non-traditional work hours; Have the ability to tailor work hours to the needs of families
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Personal Characteristics- Strong written and verbal communication, and attention to detail
- Willingness to work as a team
- Computer skills with word processing, database management, e-mail, fax, windows application capabilities
- Ability to address crisis situations which require prompt decision and action
- Knowledge with respect to safety issues
- Knowledge of social, emotional, and personal aspects of domestic violence
- Working knowledge of community resources available for survivors of domestic violence
- Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of constituents including victims, law enforcement, court personnel, community partners, and volunteers
- Experience or willingness to learn and bring trauma informed practice to all aspects of work including internal, client focused, and external partner focused
- Working knowledge of community resources available for adult/child victims of domestic violence
- Ability to perform job duties with a high degree of initiative and independent judgment
- Strong interpersonal communication skills including developing collaborative relationships with colleagues and conflict resolution
- Competency in working with diverse cultures and language abilities
- Proven commitment to child abuse and domestic violence prevention
- Experience in and commitment to building and supporting trauma informed organizations
- Maintain a positive attitude
- Thorough knowledge of rules, regulations, functions, procedures, organization, and policies governing the operations of Journey Center for Safety and Healing
- Ability to incorporate Journey Center's Values into assigned duties
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS- Ability to perform job responsibilities in a facility with multiple levels and without elevators
- Must be able to provide services at various locations and provide client transportation using agency vehicles or other mode as per Journey transportation policy
- Ability to communicate with others in person, electronically, or by phone on a consistent basis
- Regular and predictable attendance
This position description in not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties or skills required for the job and is subject to review and change at any time, with or without notice, in accordance with the needs of Journey Center for Safety and Healing. Since no position description can detail all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time in the performance of a job, duties and responsibilities that may be inherent in a job, reasonably required for its performance, or required due to the changing nature of the job shall also be considered part of the job holder's responsibility.